Self-accommodating crimping-die.



J. BRADLEY.

SELF ACCOMMGDATWJG BRHPINIG DH.

APPLICATION msu man. 25, 19m.

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1.5RADLEY.'

SELF ACCOMMODATING CRHVIPING DE.

APPLICATION HLED mlm. 25. 191s.

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7% OM 747. 191W?- Patented Aug: 28, wrt/ JOSIH BRADLEY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT WESTLAKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-ACCOMMODATIN G CRIMPING-DIE.

My invention relates to what I call a crimping die, by which I mean a grooved capping ring of peculiar construction, which coperates with the crimping fingers of a capping tool or plunger, such as is used in bottle capping and sealing machines. The function of this crimping die is to receive, guide and control the lower or free ends. of the crimping fingers, so that the operations of the crimping fingers shall be steady, firm and accurate, throughout the entire capping, sealing and releasing of the bottle or other container, upon which they act.

Owing to the fact that the lower ends of the fingers must be free to move in any direction laterally and because even a very minute variance in the angle of lateral swing on the part of any of the crimping fingers, would throw it out of alinement with its particular groove, if the crimping die was fixed and unyielding, I have found it necessary to mount the crimping die so that it can yield slightly in response to pressure from any direction and thus correct the fingery variations without danger of breakage.

This self accommodating crimping die so adapts itself to the variations of movement of the yoke that it always assumes vand retains a level position during the capping and sealing operation, compensating and guiding the varying crimping fingers, so that their initial variations are corrected and the work performed thereby is kept up to the desired standard. To call attention to this selfbalancing and accommodating characteristic,

-I call my improved crimping die a self acconimodating crimping die.

In the accompanying `drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the plunger head and capping tool of a bottle capping and sealing machine, with a bottle about to be capped; the self accommodating crimping die being shown in full lines in its initial position at the beginning of the capping operation and in dotted lines in its lowest position assumed during the operation.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led March 25, 1916. Serial No. 86,571.

Fig. 2 is a topv plan partly broken away,

the crimping die on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig.y 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 -is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Same letters indicate similar parts in the different drawings.

A represents a plunger head or arm carrying the plunger or capping tool B with the usual circular row of crimping fingers C. It also carries at its forward end a stop rod D and rises from the operating part of the machine through a turret E, which carries the self-accommodating crimping die, which is the subject of this application.

The plunger is raised and loweredin the usual way by mechanism not shown and the turret is revolved intermittently by mecha,-

nism .not shown.

The turret is provided with a number of lugs a, preferably four or six, to each of which is swiveled a yoke arm F, on which a crimping die G is swung. These yoke arms are normally supported in a horizontal position, by 'means of a spring controlled pin b, which rests upon the coiled spring c, cased in a recess or chamber d on an arm e, mounted on the turret E. v

As the turretrevolves it brings each yoke arm F with its crimping die G into position directly under the plunger and directly over the milk bottle H or -other container to be capped and sealed.

It will be understood that the material, usually of disk form, from which the closure cap or seal is made, rests freely on top of the die plate or crimping die G and centered above the container to be ca ped. As the plunger descends-it pushes this disk and the crimping die downward to form the initial crimping of the ribs and presses down over the mouth and neck of the bottle until the crimping die reaches the lowest point of its stroke as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1. At this time the yoke arm F turning upon the pivot f assumes the4 position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will also be understood that when the plunger contacts with the crimping die, each of the fingers C, C,

selects the nearestgroove of the die, and

against r lateral displacement during the downward and subsequent upward motion of the crimping die. During this time each nger is kept pressing against the bottle, as shown in dotted line in Fig. 1, by the pressure of the springs in the plunger B upon the upper ends of said'fingers.

It is of course important that during this entire downward movement as well as during the return upward movement the crimping die should remain perfectly level and this is accomplished by slidably mounting the die plate AGr in two channeled brackets J, which are rockingly mounted or journaled in the yoke by the pins g, which are prevented from too easy or extensive turning by the springs h, fastened to the outside of the yoke arm at z'.

It is also important that the crimping die should be kept centered both with regard to the plunger and the container to be capped. This is accomplished by the springs j, set in grooves in the body of the crimping die, one at each side, and as the spring controlled die plate is slidably mounted in the two -channeled brackets J, the spring exerts a constant tendency to push the plate forward, relatively to the yoke arm F and the brackets by reason of the fact that said springs are compressed between the stops c, on the su porting brackets J and shouldersl on the die plate. l

The natural effect of the springs y', would be to push the crimping die forward to the limit of the resilience of said springs. This is counteracted by the stop rod D, which descends and ascends with the plunger B, keeping contact with the front edge of the guide plate so as to hold it back againstthe expansive force of said springs, This stopping action thus keeps the die centered over the bottle, in spite of the fact that the screw pivots g swing in an arc as the yoke arm F 1s depressed and raised under the alternate action of the plunger and spring pins b.

It will be readily understood that by this method of supporting the crimping die, the die is ready at all times to accommodate itself to the crimping fingers C and draw them gently into their.normal position. To

secure the exact centering of the die I pro-- its pivot.'

J OSIAH BRADLEY. Witnesses M. DAVEY, W. P. PREBLE. 

